Ejector-type wrench or key



April 1970 s. A. OSTRAGER 3,504,580

EJECTOR-TYPE WRENCH OR KEY Filed NOV. 8. 1968 INVENTOR.

SEYMOUR /l. 057/?065/5 BY HTTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,504,580 EJECTOR-TYPE WRENCH R KEY Seymour A. Ostrager, Bronx, N.Y., assignor to Miracle Instrument Co., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 740,966, June 28, 1968. This application Nov. 8, 1968, Ser.

Int. Cl. B25b 13/02 US. Cl. 81-90 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a continuation-in-part of the device disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 740,966, filed June 28, 1968.

Further, the invention deals with a device of the character defined, wherein the structure of the parts is such as to economize on the cost of production of the same, as well as in providing a streamlined-type of device for the intended uses having the advantages of separation of the parts for cleaning or other purposes.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side and sectional view of a device made according to my invention, showing the parts in normal inoperative position, with parts of the construction broken away.

FIG. 2 is a view taken at right angles to the showing in FIG. 1, illustrating the ejector sleeve in position it will assume in engagement of the key with a workpiece; and

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, omitting background showing.

The wrench or key device forming the subject matter of this invention comprises two basic component parts, namely an elongated key body part and an ejector sleeve part 11. The part 10 has a long large diameter end portion 12, supporting a transverse rod 13, forming the handle member of the device, facilitating rotation of the key, the rod projecting at opposed sides of 12. The body 10 comprises a small diameter shank 14 fashioned, at one end, to form a square key end 15 on the body. The only other variation in the one diameter of the shank is the provision of an annular groove 16 inwardly of and spaced from 15 for support of a split retainer ring 17.

The sleeve part 11 employs a one diameter bore 18, including an annular stop element 19 which, in the present showing, is indicated as integral with the sleeve 11, but this can be in the form of a ring suitably fixed in the bore 18 substantially at the position noted in FIG. 1 and the element 19 forms a seat for the ring 17 in support of the sleeve 11 for attachment and detachment of the key split coil spring 20, one end of the spring seating on the element 19 and the other end seating on the shoulder 21 3,504,580 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 formed by reduction in the diameter of 14 with respect to the large diameter end 12.

It will appear, from a consideration of FIG. 1, that the inner end of the sleeve part 11 has a substantial bearing upon the large diameter end 12 and that a long bearing is provided for the sleeve part 11 on 12 when said sleeve part 11 is moved inwardly upon the body part 10 in moving the wrench or key device into engagement with a workpiece to be operated upon, as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

It will be apparent from FIG. 1 that the sleeve part 11 is capable of further inward movement to the extent of exposing the groove 16 beyond the outer end of the sleeve 11 for attachment and detachment of the key split ring 17, which ring is best illustrated in side elevation in FIG. 3 of the drawing. The ring 17 has enlarged ends, having apertures 22 therein for engagement by a suitable tool in attachment and detachment of the ring 17.

By terminating the outer end of the ejector sleeve part 11 inwardly of the outer end of the rectangular key 15, this facilitates guidance of 15 into the workpiece to be engaged. Further, the sleeve part 11 has free movement to fully expose the key end 15, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing, and this movement is throughout the major portion of the length of the large diameter portion 12.

In the present illustration, particularly in the showing of the section of the sleeve 11 in FIG. 1, it will be apparent that this sleeve can be a metallic molded or machined sleeve. However, it is to be kept in mind that this sleeve can be formed from suitable molded plastic material, such, for example, as nylon or Delrin.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A key device comprising a body part and an elongated ejector sleeve part, said body part having elongated large and small diameter portions joined in a shoulder, the large diameter portion having, at its free end, a handle member, the small diameter portion terminating, at its end, in a square key, inwardly of which is an annular split ring groove, said ejector sleeve part having, in its bore, an annular stop element, a coil spring mounted in said bore between said element and said shoulder to urge one outer end of the sleeve to a normal position inwardly of the outer end of said square key, a split ring mounted in said groove and engaging said stop element in support of said sleeve in said normal position, the other end of said sleeve having a bearing support throughout the major length of said large diameter portion of said body part, and movement of the sleeve part on said body part being such as to expose said annular split ring groove at said outer end of said sleeve part to facilitate attachment and detachment of said spring ring.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said handle member comprises a rod projecting at opposed sides of said large diameter portion.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said stop element comprises a flange integral with said sleeve, and said split ring having enlarged apertured ends facilitating attachment and detachment of said split ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 825,974 12/1959 Great Britain.

JAMES L. JONES, 1a., Primary Examiner 

